Targeting Disease with Nanoparticles

Nanoparticles, which are popular candidates for ferrying drugs to target locations in the human body, have been shown to evade the immune system and infiltrate tissues and cells. This makes them effective in delivering medication for conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.

But, Michigan Engineering Professor Lola Eniola-Adefeso and her team has discovered they're no good at leaving the bloodstream, getting trapped instead by red blood cells. To combat that, researchers are exploring the possibility of different shapes and sizes for these nanoparticles, to help them more effectively navigate to their targets.